diff --git a/lib/MemberBuilder.js b/lib/MemberBuilder.js
index 3eafb77..ac8dae1 100644
--- a/lib/MemberBuilder.js
+++ b/lib/MemberBuilder.js
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ exports.buildMethod = function(
 
     // ensure that the declaration is valid (keywords make sense, argument
     // length, etc)
-    validateMethod( keywords, prev_data, prev_keywords, value, name );
+    this._validateMethod( keywords, prev_data, prev_keywords, value, name );
 
     // we might be overriding an existing method
     if ( prev )
@@ -161,7 +161,8 @@ exports.buildMethod = function(
  * @param  {*}       value          property value
  * @param  {string}  name           property name
  */
-function validateMethod( keywords, prev_data, prev_keywords, value, name )
+exports._validateMethod = function(
+    keywords, prev_data, prev_keywords, value, name )
 {
     var prev = ( prev_data ) ? prev_data.member : null;
 
@@ -243,7 +244,7 @@ function validateMethod( keywords, prev_data, prev_keywords, value, name )
         }
 
         // do not permit visibility deescalation
-        if ( prev_data.visibility < getVisibilityValue( keywords ) )
+        if ( prev_data.visibility < this._getVisibilityValue( keywords ) )
         {
             throw TypeError(
                 "Cannot de-escalate visibility of method '" + name + "'"
@@ -309,7 +310,9 @@ exports.buildProp = function( members, meta, name, value, keywords, base )
     }
 
     // do not permit visibility de-escalation
-    if ( prev && ( prev_data.visibility < getVisibilityValue( keywords ) ) )
+    if ( prev &&
+        ( prev_data.visibility < this._getVisibilityValue( keywords ) )
+    )
     {
         throw TypeError(
             "Cannot de-escalate visibility of property '" + name + "'"
@@ -608,7 +611,7 @@ exports._overrideMethod = function(
  *
  * @return  {number}  visibility level as a numeric value
  */
-function getVisibilityValue( keywords )
+exports._getVisibilityValue = function( keywords )
 {
     if ( fallback )
     {